Minutes of Meeting

Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Meeting

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 30 March 2023
Time	9.00am

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 30 March 2023

Minutes of the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Meeting held on Thursday, 30 March 2023

File No: I2023/474

PRESENT: Cr M Lyon, Cr S Ndiaye, Cr D Dey

Staff:  Phil Holloway (Director Infrastructure Services)

            Cameron Clark (Manager Utilities)

            Shannon Burt (Director SEE)

            Dominika Tomanek (Minute Taker)

Community: Ben Fawcett, David Fligelman, Elia Hauge, Bruce Clark

Cr Ndiaye (Chair) opened the meeting at 9:09 am and acknowledged that the meeting was being held on Bundjalung Country.

Attendance via AUDIO-VISUAL LINK:

Apologies:

Cr C Coorey

Declarations of Interest – Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary

There were no declarations of interest.

David Fligelman declared a pecuniary/non-pecuniary interest.  The nature of the interest being that has a tender for potable reuse investigations under assessment by Rous Water.

Ben Fawcett declared a pecuniary/non-pecuniary interest.  The nature of the interest being that his residence is close to Laverty’s Gap.

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Report No. 3.1           Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meeting

File No:                       I2023/420

Committee Recommendation:

That the minutes of the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee Meeting held on 20 October 2022 be confirmed. (Ndiaye/Lyon)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Business Arising from Previous Minutes

There was no business arising from previous minutes.

Procedural Motion

Committee Recommendation:

That Council change the order of business to deal with Reports 4.3 and 4.1 and 4.2 next on the Agenda.                                                                                                                          (Dey/Ndiaye)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 4.1           Review of Council's Onsite Sewage Management Strategy 2001 and Onsite Sewage Management Guidelines 2004

File No:                       I2023/251

Committee Recommendation:

That Water and Sewer Advisory Committee:

1.      Notes the draft Onsite Sewage Management Strategy and draft Onsite Sewage Management Guidelines; and

2.      Request staff to convene a meeting with available committee members prior to reporting documents in point 1 to Council prior to exhibition. (Dey/Fawcett)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Staff Reports - Infrastructure Services

Report No. 4.2           Q1 - Utilities Works Delivery Program Update

File No:                       I2023/372

Committee Recommendation:

That the committee notes the report. (Ndiaye/Hauge)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

Report No. 4.3           Mullumbimby Water Supply Strategy - Members' Motions

File No:                       I2023/345

Committee Recommendation:

That the Committee advise Council to: 

1. thank Hydrosphere for preparing the report ‘Mullumbimby Water Supply Strategy, final draft December 2021’, which was discussed at the meeting of this Committee on 28 September 2022, and not adopt its recommendations.

2. recognise that Mullumbimby’s current water source at Lavertys Gap may not supply adequate volumes of water during drought for the supply area (Mullumbimby), but that an emergency supply is secured in the medium term via an option to draw on Rous Water.

3. recognise that the current treatment system is near or has passed its use-by date.

4. recognise that the weir at Lavertys Gap blocks fish passage and operates under a licence that does not require release of environmental flows to water the downstream environment.

5. recognise that the weir is aging and in need of repair, and is heritage listed along with other connected water supply infrastructure (such as the race).

6. seek from Rous Water a statement as to the Environmental / Social / Economic Impacts of the addition of the 2060 population of the Mullumbimby water supply network to the Rous water supply network.  

7. Following the meeting with representatives of Rous, consider investigation of matters that will enable a strategy for Mullumbimby’s long term water supply based on the following concept:

(a) Lavertys Gap as the source during flows in excess of environmental requirements;

(b) water stored off-stream between the source and Mullumbimby;

(c) water treated at a new location between the storage and Mullumbimby;

(d) water delivered to Mullumbimby and possibly beyond; and

(e) maximising demand management, including the harvesting of roof water.

8. The investigation above to include:

(a) the topography of the terrain between Lavertys Gap and Mullumbimby, to identify potential dam sites;

(b) the hydrology of Wilsons Creek and its capacity to supply, including seasonality;

(c) the impact of climate change on supply and on demand (using CC data and methodologies in the pilot phase for local water supply through DPE, and applied in Regional Water Strategies);

(d) infrastructure needs including offtake, storage, treatment and linkages to the town’s reservoirs;

(e) environmental assessments for the creation and operation of that infrastructure, including greenhouse gas emissions;

(f) assessment of the weir at Lavertys Gap including (i) structural integrity; (ii) means of creating fish passage; and (iii) how this proposal enhances its heritage and preservation; and

(g) economic assessment.

(Dey/Clarke)

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared carried.

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 11:07 am.